Electrical igniting apparatus.



W. H. COTTON. ELECTRICAL IGNITING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1907. 1,101,256. Patented June 23, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

LUMBIA PLANoaRAPI-l 00.. WASHINGTON D c W. H. COTTON. ELECTRICAL IGNITING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED .TULY5, 1907. 1,1 01,256. v Patented June 23, 1914.

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IIII/IIIIII W. H. COTTON. ELECTRICAL IGNITING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

1,101,256, Patented June 23, 1914.

6 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

fiz enfars jhnex e W. H, COTTON.

ELECTRICAL IGNITING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

1,101,256, Patented June 23, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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W. H. COTTON.

ELECTRICAL IGNITING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1907.

1,101,256. Patented June 23, 1914.

5 8HEETS-SHEET 5.

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WALTER H. COTTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL IGNIIlZNG APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 5, 1907.

Patented June 23, 1914. Serial No. 382,257.

' To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that'I, WALTER H. COTTON, a.

' This invention relates to electrical ig-' niters for internal combustion engines of the type forming the subject matter of Letters Patent No. 735,213, granted to me August 4, 1903.

The object of this invention is to generally improve devices of this kind, having reference to its application in connection with either the so-called make and break type or the jump-spark type of ignition device, and to means for cleansing and-increasing the certainty of action of the igniter.

The invention consists in the structure hereinafter described, and which is illustrated in various forms in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail plan View of the ignition device as applied to a gas engine, one wall of which is shown in detail section; Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner face of the igniter casing; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the igniter casing showing the valve; Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, of an induction pipe-used in connection with the device; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the igniter showing a modified-form of construction; Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of an engine and the igniter, showing a further modification; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the igniter casing shown in Figs. 7 and 8, but drawn to a smaller scale; Fig. 10 is a sectional detail on a plane perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 8, showing, however, a slight modification; and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are details. of the circuit breaker. ,7 p

The igniting device comprises a casing 10, cored to form a chamber for the circulation therethrough of water, while leaving stock within the interior, as shown at 11, 12 and 13, for receiving the sparking elements, and

providing suitable passages, as hereinafter described. Ports 14, 15, are formed in the inner face of the casing, opening to its water chamber, and adapted to communicate with the water chamber 16 of the gas engine cyllnder 17, to the outer wall of which the casing 10 is adapted to be secured by screwbolts 18.

A pair of plugs 19, 20, are set within suitable apertures within the interior metal parts 11, 12, and entering through the top of the casing. Each of these plugs carries a pair of electric terminal rods 21, 21 and 22, 22, each of the latter being stationary and insulated from the plug, and each of the former being an oscillating spindle carrying a hammer 23, 23, at its inner end adapted for contact, respectively, with the inner end of the rods 22, 22 to close the electric circuit. Space is left below the plugs 19, 20, to accommodate the contacting parts of the terminals and provide chambers 24, 25, within which the gases are to be ignited. These chambers communicate with the interior of the cylinder througha port 26 in the wall of the latter and a duct 27 through a valve 28 seated in a suitable aperture within the metal part 13 of the casing, the duct 27 of this valve opening laterally through its body and registering in alternation with ports 29, 30, communicating with the chambers 24, 25. A handle 31 is attached to the stem of the valve 28, by means of which the latter may be turned to bring one of the chambers 24, 25, into and cut the other off from communication with the chamber of the engine cylinder. A connector 32 unites the two fixed terminals 22 and carries a binding post 33, to which one branch of the electric circuit 34 may be secured. The spindles 21, 21, are grounded in the engine.

The oscillation of the spindles 21, 21 is accomplished in any desired manner. As shown, there is mounted loosely on the outer end of each of the spindles 21, 21*, a shouldered disk 35, 45. The construction of the two sparking appliances being alike, but

one need be described in detail. A helical spring 36 is attached to the disk 35 and to t e plug 1 9, and normally holds the spindle in such position that the hammer 23 is out of contact with the rod 22, and bears against a suitable stop 37 A collar38is fixed upon the spindle 21' between the disk 35 and the end of the plug 19, and a helical spring-39' has one of its ends secured 'to this collar and the other in the end of the plug. The two springs 36 and 39 exert their pressure in opposite directions, the spring 39 being theweakerofthe' two; Thercollar 38' is #pro vided at its upper end with a segmental flange 40, and the disk 35 has formed on its lower face a depending lug 41, playing be? tween theends of this flange, these parts being sod'i'sposed that under"thep.influence of the spring '36 thehammer 23- isthrown back against the 'st'o'plkd'z by; reason'of the engagement of tl1e'lug141'w-ith the flange40.l 'A reciprocating 'rod 42, mounted in suitable slideways carriedby a pai'r 'ofbrackets 46, 47, risingfrom the'casing 10, carries apair of yieldingly, mounted fingers 43, 44, adapted to" coa'ct one with the -disk 3'5 theother with the corresponding. disk 45" carried by the companion" sparking "device; As the'rod 42 is advan'ced', one of theflfingers' engages the shoulder of the disk with which it cooperates; Assumingthat thefin erz 43 is in action, it will engage the shoulder of the disk 85, turning it "an'dfreleasing thei'seg mental fiangej 40, permitting "the spring .391 to throw 'the'hamme'r 23 into contact with theitermina122'. As the rod 42"still f'arthen advances its finger, slips past thesho ulder of the disk. Under the influence of the spring 36, the disk no'wth'rown backward to its normal/position, carryingswith itfthe collar 7 38' and the hammer 23, thusm'akin'g a quick break of? the electric". circuit and developing": thefignitingspark; I v

Oneoljthe'bearings of tlfe"rodj42"is inthe form of a sleeve 48, set' through the eye of the bi'acket 47," and secured b'y means ofa. nut 49. This sleeve carries'a spline? 50,. fitting with'inia longitudinal groove'51 inf: the rod'42, and is also provided with' aradial" stud'f52, playing in a cam -slot '53 in one arm" ofa bell crank 54,fipivoted*toa bracket" 55 proj ecting from 'the' casing '101 A segmental flange 56', fixed upon the stemot? the valve-e 28, engages byits sifoulders'fa stud 57 ion the outer end of the free arm of the bellcrank 54," As the bell-crankis'turned on 'its pivot the sleeve 48, and with" itthe rod 42, are" turned bytheaction of "the bell-crank "ca-m on the stud 52.. The two fingers 43, 44, are" outrof'alinement, an'd fthe shouldersor ends ofithe segmental flange 56are-so.spacedand" disposed 1 that as ':'the valve 28 "isiturned 3 to open communication between the engine cylinder and either of the *chambers-"withim which 'thei sparking devices are located, the rod"42"is.j so turned as 'tobring' one of"the" fingers43, or 44, intopbsitiomtoi engagefth'e 65 c irespeading'suoulderea disk et ee i5?- The rod 42 is reciprocated by the engine, and a connecting rod 58 leading from a clip 59on':the'rod maybe soconnected to a'movingpart "of the engine as to actuate the rod andsuitably time the ignition of the charge in the engine cylinder; The fingers 43, 44, may be attached to the rod in any suitable manner. A's-shown, they are pivoted within longitudinal apertures in therod, and each =is-acted 'upon by a spring 60, 61, holding it-'75 inposition for engagement with the shoulder of" the disl "with'which it cooperates but allowing it to yield for easy disengagement therefrom. v

Preferably each of the ignition" chambers within" which" the" sparking electrodes aref located, is' enlarged in order that as*each new charge of 5 the engine is compressed it may with certainty'beforcedpast the spark ingf terminals Asshow'n,. this is accom-.85 plished "by forming ports 62,",6'3, leadingbn'e" from each of thechambersfl i, 25,-through the wall of the casing 10, and attachingfjftb the=casing";"so"as to register with feach of the. ports," a tu be 64,? 65', havingits-outer end" closed. To facilitate the cleaning "of 'thhs' tubesthe outrend of'eaclimay be'clos'ed means of a scavenger valve, as 66," seat-ed in* the op'enend of thetube and carried byf'a yoke 67, within whielf itsetem is int-hr'eaded engagement, such stem-being 'providd' with a Hand-wheel "68 for" its easy manipulation1 Should" the tube" become foul "the 1 valve be openedto permit "the-"expl-doling charge to blow out the accumulated material-21 I IhflFigs; 7' and as there is -illustrated a modification, wherein the"sparldvelping devices are located pockets ti j 70," formed within a casing 71, similar'te'the'casing'10, and opening to the'chamber' of a rotative end, as-showr'r'at 73, to-=a port{74' in thewall of the cylinder 17; Th'e 'chamberof 't-he valve"'72*is' closed 'on one side, as sh own at f 75,- thereby -pro'vidin-g f6r the cutting off of one-of t-he pockets 69or' 709' The sparking, device maybe-of aiiy-desired" term, as illus i 'tratedi jump spark plugs 76; 77, of ?0rdi'nary"" 7 construction, are employed, and if desired a, jpluialityEof *such plugs may'fibe inserted-" 'into" each'of thepockets-GQQ 70, asillustrated in Fig." 10". "A simpleandefii cientmeans for leading current to"the- 'sparkingdevices isshbw-n, andconsists of a binding post" 78,;

mountedon the casingfil, and connected' extreme positions the circuit is closed to the sparking device or devices located within the open pocket 69 or 7 0. To make it positively certain that combustible gases will surround the sparking points, the induction may be so arranged that the incoming charge will sweep these points. This may be accomplished, as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the induction passage 87 opens to a port 88 in the casing 71, which is in communication with the chamber of the valve 72, an inwardly-opening valve 89 being seated across the duct 87. Furthermore, the throat 90 of the chamber of the valve 72 may be somewhat contracted, forcing the charge into the open pocket 69 or 70. This sweeping of the contact points by the incoming charge may, however, be provided by substituting for the tubes 64, 65, a tube 91, the outer end of which is in communication with the induction passage, thereby shunting a part of the incoming charge through the igniting chambers, as 24, 25. IVhen this construction is followed the tube 91 should, of course, contain a check-valve to prevent firing back. This is shown as taking the form of a ball 92, seated within an enlarged chamber 93 inthe tube and limited in its movement by a stop pin 94.

I claim as my invention 1. In an ignitingdevice, in combination, a combustion chamber, a valve casing open thereto and having lateral pockets in its valve chamber, electric sparking devices in the pockets, a valve seated in the valve chamber and having an axial and a lateral port, a circuit breaker connected with the valve and arranged to open the circuit of each sparking device when the lateral valve port is out of register with the pocket in.

which it is located. 7

2. In an igniting device, in combination, a combustion chamber, an igniting chamber communicating therewith and having a fluid induction port other than its opening to the combustion chamber and having pockets in its walls, an electric sparking device in each pocket, a single valve controlling the mouths of the several pockets, an electric circuit, and a switch operatively connected with the valve-operating means and arranged to close the circuit to each sparking device when the pocket containing such device is opened.

3. In an igniting device, in combination, a combustion chamber, a valve casing having a fluid induction port and lateral pockets, a valve seated in the casing and having an axial port open to the combustion chamber, and a lateral port open to the induction port and openable in alternation to the pockets, and an electirc sparking device in each pocket.

l. In combination, a combustion chamber, sparking terminals for igniting gas within said chamber, means for exposing said terminals to gas in said chamber and for completely housing said terminals as desired, a stem for operating said means, and an electrical switch mounted on said stem and placing the-sparking terminals in circuit upon exposure thereof.

5. An igniting device for an explosion engine, comprising a single piece adapted to be connected with the combustion chamber of such an engine and having a plurality of sets of sparking terminals, means carried by said piece for exposing or isolating any one of the sets of sparking terminals as desired, and a switch mounted on said means for completing a circuit through each set of terminals upon exposure thereof.

6. An igniting device for an explosion engine, comprising a single piece adapted to be connected with the combustion chamber of such an engine and having a plurality of pockets, a plurality of separately-removable spark-plugs carried by said device and hav ing sets of sparking terminals one set being housed in each said pocket, means also carried by said piece for exposing or isolating any one of said pockets, and a switch mounted on said means for completing a circuit through each set of terminals upon exposure thereof.

7. In combination with a cylinder for an internal combustion engine, a plurality of igniting devices mounted in stationary relation with respect to said cylinder, means establishing communication from the respective igniting devices to the cylinder, a shut-oft means controlling such communication to alternatively place the igniting devices in communication with the cylinder, an operating circuit, a switch means mechanically connected to said shut-0E means and controlling such operating circuit for establishing operating connection to the ignition device which is in communication with the cylinder and simultaneously breaking the operating connection to the other igniting device which is not in communication with the cylinder.

8. In combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, a plurality of stationary igniting devices, means providing communication between said igniting devices and the cylinder, means for shutting ofi? communication from either igniting device to the engine, a switch connected to and operated with said shut-oft means, and an operating circuit connected to said switch to be placed thereby in connection with the igniting device which is in communication with the engine.

9. I11 combination, a combustion chamber, sparking elements for igniting gas within said chamber, means for exposing said elements to the gas in said chamber and for completely housing the said elements as desired, a stem for operating said means, and 

